


happy fishing

by mikkal



Series: giggle not into the abyss [14]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 08:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16657720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkal/pseuds/mikkal
Summary: Noct's been pushing himself too hard, so the bros decide he needs a break.He doesn't agree.





	happy fishing

They’re on their way to Galdin Quay, questing for Dino because that guy is a blackmailing bastard on bad days and annoyingly charismatic on good days, when Ignis suddenly pulls over. Noct blinks out of the daze he’d sunk into miles back, forehead against the window despite the headache inducing rattle from worn roads, eyes half lidded and swollen from a less than stellar night last night.

A night of no sleep he desperately wanted and a night when he just couldn’t stop the grief from overwhelming him and spilling over his cheeks. It’s a miracle he hadn’t disturbed any of the guys, the tent walls aren’t that thick and the fire he’d restarted wasn’t very loud to cover up the sobs.

He rubs his eyes, peering out the window to see the glittering, deserted scenery of Galdin Shoals, and then blinks. Noct frowns as Gladio steps out of the car without a word, instantly stretching out kinks in his joints. Prompto bounds after him, already taking pictures. He meets Ignis’ eyes in the rearview mirror, his friend’s expression serene and deceptively innocent.

“What’re we doin’?” Noct slurs out, the need for sleep clinging still to every part of him. He runs a rough hand over his face, shakes his head like a dog with water in its ears. “Specs?”

 Ignis adjusts his glasses and takes a sip of ebony. “It’s been decided that perhaps we’ve been pushing too hard.” He glances away for a moment at Gladio and Prompto setting up their chairs, then back to Noct. “It won’t do us any bit of good if we don’t take a break here and there.”

The frown doesn’t fade. But why here? There’s no good place to properly camp for the night, meaning Gladio won’t get to have his fun. The view is nice, but there aren’t any good high points for Prompto to get new angles. And he vaguely remembers Ignis mentioning Galdin Quay’s head chef willing to share some recipes with him the next time they stopped by, and Galdin is close but not close enough.

All that’s here are fish Noct’s been wanting to take a crack at here ever since Navyth raved about the difficulty of it. He wants to go back to the fisherman and show off his skills. That can’t be….

Noct doesn’t move. “What’s wrong with just holding on ‘til Galdin?” he asks. He gestures towards the window to the Shoals. “There’s nothing out here but fish.”

Ignis quirks an eyebrow. Noct stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the reason they’re here—that they’re here for _him_.

“We don’t need to be here, let’s keep going.”

“Noct,” Ignis starts, pauses. He sighs. “We’ve all gone through so much,” he says slowly, looking down at the steering wheel as he runs his fingers over the leather grip. “But no more so that you. You’ve been walking tall.” Noct’s breathing hitches. “And pushing yourself all that much harder.” Green eyes meet horizon blue. “You deserve a break.”

He shakes his head, lips pressed in a thin line. “We need to keep going,” he says weakly. His eyes sting, his throat burns. “I’m fine. There’s nothing here for you guys.”

“This isn’t for us,” Gladio says out of nowhere. Noct jerks in surprise, he hadn’t even noticed his looming shadow. “This is for you. You’ve been talking nonstop about that Rock Barramundi forever now. And that other one, what’s it called?”

“Crimson Trevally,” he murmurs.

“Yeah, that one. This is your chance to catch them.” Gladio leans into the car even more, expression intense. “We heard you, last night.” Noct stiffens. “It doesn’t do anyone any good to bottle all that up.” Ignis snorts quietly. “You need to relax.”

“I’m fine,” he repeats, looking away out the window again. Prompto’s still there, watching the car with a nervous look, fiddling with his camera. “I’m _fine_.” He chokes on the words, a tear sliding down his cheek. He wipes it away in frustration.

“No, you’re not,” Gladio says quietly. He holds out a hand invitingly. “C’mon. Come fish. Come relax for a little bit. Let it all out.”

Noct wraps his arms around his middle. Prompto inches closer to the window, smiling a small little smile. They need to drive. They need to be doing something else than catering to the fact that Noct can’t handle this weight on his shoulder like a good king. A competent king.  Prompto taps on the window, waving for him to roll it down.

“There’s nothing out here for you guys,” he tries again, sounding like a broken record. His voice is scratchy enough.

“Please?” Prompto says. “It’ll be enough to see you fish. When you’re happy, I’m happy. I bet I can get some epic shots of your catches.” Prompto’s smile is a golden has his hair. He reaches through the window and runs his fingers through Noct’s silk hair, scratching behind his ears. Noct won’t admit to melting into the touch. “And then we get to Galdin, eat some excellent food that will never be as good as Iggy’s, and sleep in a real bed. Let us do this for you.”

Noct leans into his hand, eyelashes fluttering. “Fine,” he mumbles. Ignis covers something that sounds suspiciously like a laugh with a cough, Noct studiously ignores him.

Instead, he grabs Gladio’s hand and lets himself be yanked out of the car. The sun is warm on his skin, the breeze cool through his hair. Ignis shoves a pair of sunglasses on Noct’s face, nearly poking him in the eye. Prompto’s already dangling a Bomber: Ice Bomb lure enticingly. Gladio ruffles his hair as he passes.

“I’ll get Iggy to cook something, no-veggies,” he stage-whispers.

Noct’s smile is a little strained, but there. “I knew there was a reason you’re my Shield.”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi to me on tumblr! mikkalia15.tumblr.com


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